Jesus told his first disciples to lift up their eyes to see the world as it really is: broken, hurting and lost.
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This year, the North Carolina Missions Offering (NCMO) will call Baptists across North Carolina to do the same – to see and respond to lostness and suffering through praying, giving and going.
The NCMO theme for 2017 is “Eyes to See” based on John 4:35b: “Behold, I say to you, lift up your eyes and look at the fields, for they are already white for harvest” (NKJV).
“As North Carolina Baptists, we have to see opportunities and needs before us and respond accordingly,” said Richard Brunson, executive director of N.C. Baptist Men, also known as Baptists on Mission. “But we can’t do it alone. We need each other.”
The theme “Eyes to See” is especially relevant because the NCMO supports a variety of ministries that respond to many needs in North Carolina, across the country and around the world.
God has equipped each believer in unique talents and skills that can be utilized for missions and ministry thanks to the support of this offering. This theme and verse should give inspiration for North Carolina Baptists to think differently about lostness across the state.
“People see what they are prepared to see,” said Mark Gray, team leader of church planting at the Baptist State Convention of North Carolina. “We will only reach the 5.8 million who are lost in North Carolina if we learn to see them like Jesus.”
Received in September of each year, the NCMO supports the 17 different ministries of Baptists on Mission, along with church planting, mission camps, associational projects and missions mobilization projects. The goal for this year’s offering is $2.1 million. In 2016, gifts to NCMO totaled more than $1.88 million.
Materials will be available soon at ncmissionsoffering.org.